Attachment for grass and weed cutters



E. J. SOENKSEN ATTACHMENT FOR GRASS AND WEED CUTTERS Nov. 29, 1949 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 6, 1947 Edwin J. Soenksen Attorney Nov. 29,1949 Filed Nov. 6, 1947 Fig.2.

E. J. SOENKSEN ATTACHMENT FOR GRASS AND WEED CUTTERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 u3 8 k w l\ N m 0 a 8 a a a -a. 2e 0 g m a Q v\ u 3.

D g &

I urentor E dm'n J. Soenksen Nov. 29, 1949 E. J. SQENKSEN 2,489,730

' ATTACHMENT FOR GRASS AND WEED CUTTERS Filed Nev. 6, 1947 3Sheets-Sheet 3 I! 1 Mar Edwin J. .Soenksgr) Patented Nov. 29, 1949UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ATTACHMENT FOR GRASS AND WEED CUTTERS EdwinJ. Soenkscn, De Witt, Iowa Application November 6, 1947, Serial N 0.784,359

. 2 Claims. 1

This invention comprises novel and useful improvement in an attachmentfor grass and weed cutters and more specifically pertains to an improvedrotary cutter blade together with a generally improved construction ofpower cutter.

The primary purpose of this invention resides in providing an improvedcutter blade having removable and replaceable cutting knives thereontogether with an improved means for locking the knives in their mountingupon the cutter blade.

A further important purpose of this invention resides in the provisionof an improved supporting and adjusting means for the frame of themower.

These, together with further ancillary objects of the invention whichwill later become apparent as the following description proceeds, areattained by this device, a preferred embodiment of which has beenillustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved mower embodying thefeatures of construction of this invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View through the mower ofFigure 1, taken substantially upon the plane of the line 2-2 of Figure1, showing details of construction;

Figure 3 is a top plan view upon a somewhat enlarged scale of theimproved cutter blade of the invention;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of Figure 3;- Figure 5 is a bottomplan view of the cutter. blade; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view taken in vertical longitudinalsection substantially upon the plane of the section line 6-6 of Figure3.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings, whereinlike numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views, itwill be seen that numeral ID designates a portion of the frame of thedevice which as shown comprises an elongated member having transversesupporting bars I2 and I3 constituting a platform upon which is suitablymounted a power source such as internal combustion engine indicatedgenerally at I4. Pivotally mounted as by fastening bolts, one of whichis indicated at I 6, are a pair of upwardly and rearwardly extendinghandle members l8 and I9, which are angularly adjustable relative to theframe by means of slotted supporting rods one of which is shown at 20,which are fastened to the handles and to the frame as by fastening means22 and 24 respectively. As will be readily seen, the bolts 22 and/orendless belt 28 which extends about a pair of idler pulleys 29 and 30which as shown in Figure 1 are inclined relative to each other and to avertical plane, said belt then extending about a driven pulley 3|suitably mounted upon a vertically disposed driven shaft 32 journaled inany desired manner in the frame member ID.

Below the frame member H), the driven shaft 32 is provided with theabove-mentioned driven pulley, and then extends downwardly through acircular shield 3 and terminates at its lower extremity in ascrew-threaded portion having adjusting nuts 36 and 37 by means of whicha cutter blade or bar 38 is retained upon the driven shaft 32 invertically adjusted position.

At its forward end, the annular shield 34 is upturned as at 40 toprovide a deflecting bafiie for directing grass or other material intothe path of travel of the horizontally rotating cutter bar 38, while therear end of the shield 34 is downwardly turned to provide an arcuate rim42 at the rear of the cutter blade for preventing material cut by theblade or objects struck thereby from being thrown backward against theoperator or into the machinery of the mower. Rigidly secured to the rearportion of the shield 34 as by fastening bolts, one of which is shown at44, is a supporting frame having a pair of upwardly and rearwardlyinclined forks 46 and 41 each member of each fork being longitudinallyslotted at its upper and outer extremity as at 48, for adjustableclamping engagement as by means of a bolt 50, upon the axle 52 of thesupporting wheels 54 of the mower. As shown best in Figure 1, a slottedreinforcing bar 56 is adjustably connected to the axle 52 as by theabove-mentioned fastening nuts 50 and to the frame as by the previouslymentioned fastening bolts 24, whereby the wheels may be readily adjustedrelative to the framework.

An arcuate transversely extending reinforcing member 58 connects the twoforks 46 to form a rigid assembly therewith.

Upon each side of the shield 34 are upwardly extending lugs 60 and 6|which receive a fastening bolt 62 extending therebetween and journaledin a transverse bore in the end of the frame member ID. This bolt issecured by a suitable nut 64 upon a screw-threaded outer extremity. Anarcuately shaped guard rail or member 86 has its extremities journaledupon the bolt 62, this guard member extending forwardly and above thefront end of the shield 34 and the front portion of the path of travelof the rotating cutter blade 38. Likewise journaled upon the bolt 62 area pair of forwardly extending arms El and 69 upon whose outerextremities are swivelly mounted a pair of casters B8 and 'II. Sleeves63 and 65 embrace the bolt and are abutted against the frame ID and thearms 51 and 69. The bolt 62 thus clamps through the sleeves, the arms61, 69 to the inner surface of the lugs 68, BI and the ends of the guard66 to the outer sides of the lugs. The arrangement issuch that the nut64 may be loosened upon the bolt 62, whereby the guard 66 may beadjusted as desired, and the individual caster supporting arms 61 may beindividually adjusted about the axis of the bolt, and the nut 64thereafter tightened to lock the bars in their adjusted position.

By the above-mentioned adjusting means, the front end of the frame ofthe track of the mower may be vertically adjusted with respect to theground in order to properly position the cutter blade for its operation.As will be noted, the shield 34 is pivotally mounted by means of thelugs 60 and 6| upon the bolt 44, whereby the shield may be oscillatablyadjusted about said bolt by proper adjustment of the forks 46 and 41,nuts 50 and reinforcing elements 58.

A combined belt tensioning device and clutch is provided for operativelyconnecting the driving pulley 26 to the driven pulley 30. This includesa supporting bracket or plate III which is pivotally mounted upon theframe ID as at 12, and which carries stub axles l4 and I journaling theidler pulleys 29 and 3|] mentioned above. A bolt 16 extends throughaligned aperture in the frame I0 and in the plate I0, and isscrew-threaded at its lower end and provided with an adjusting nut I8for adjustably urging the rear portion of the plate and the pulleys 29and 30 thereon downwardly relative to the frame I0 against theopposition of a spring 88 positioned between the top surface of the nut18 and the lower surface of the frame I0. The bolt further extendsthrough an aligned aperture in the above mentioned bracket or plate 10,and is provided with a transverse supporting pin 82 at its upperextremity, upon which is journaled an adjusting lever 84 having anadjusting cam 86 disposed about the fulcrum pin 32, the surface of thiscam bearing upon the upper surface of the plate ID, for adustinglyurging the plate downwardly against the resistance of the spring 80 andagainst the tension of the belt 28, to thereby cause the pulleys 38 toapply the desired tension to the belt for controlling the operation ofthe cutter blade by the power source.

Attention is now directed more specifically to Figures 3-6 for a betterunderstanding of the improved construction of the cutter blade. Thelatter consists of a bar or strip of material having a central portion88 provided with an axial bore 90 by means of which the cutter blade issecured upon the driven shaft 32. Extending from opposite sides of thecentral portion 88, are angularly bent end portions 92 and 94 of theblade, these portions being both bent downwardly in the same generaldirection, but twisted or inclined relative to each other in oppositedirections about the central line of the blade. By

means of this bend in construction, the cutter elements upon the end ofthe blade and to be now described are given a greater clearance with theoverlying shield portion of the device.

As shown best in Figure 5, the bent portions 92 and 94 are providedadjacent their ends with elongated slots 96, which at their innerextremities are provided with enlarged portions 98.

An annular disk I00 constituting a closure member is journaled as at I02upon the lower surfaces of the bent portions in a position to have itscircumference overlie a portion of the enlarged portion 98, but having anotched portion I04 formed in its circumference which is registrablewith the enlarged portion to provide an unobstructed passagetherethrough. The two closing and opening positions of the closuremember are illustrated at the right and left hand ends of Figure -5.

The device envisions a detachable cutter knife for each end of thecutter blade, this knife comprising an annular disk member I05 having aperipherally beveled cutting edge I88, and further having an axiallydisposed shank or pin IIO extending therefrom and terminating in anenlarged headed end I I2, embracing a shoulder III of the pin. The sizeof the shank IIIland of the headed end IIZ are such that the shank maybe received within and readily slidable in the slot 96; but the headedend II2 may not pass through the slot but is receivable in the enlargedportion 98 whereby the same may be introduced therethrough and the shankseated in the slot. When so positioned, the closure member I08 may berotated to present its unnotched portion over the enlarged portion 98,to thereby prevent withdrawal of the rotary knives through the opening98.

It should be here noted that the center of gravity of the closure memberI08 is preferably on the opposite side of the axis of the shank III!from the notch I04, whereby during operation of the device and rotationof the cutter blade 88, centrifugal force will urge the solid or centerof gravity portion of the closure I00 into a position to obstruct theopening 98 as shown at the right hand side of Figure 5. To remove thecutter knife, it is therefore necessary to manually r0- tate the closuremember to the position shown at the left hand side of Figure 5, in orderthat the headed end of the shank III] of the rotary cutter knife may bealigned with and withdrawn through the opening 98.

From the foregoing, the manner of operating and employing the inventionwill be readily understood and further explanation is believed to beunnecessary. Since numerous modifications of the inventive concept willbe readily understood by those skilled in the art after a considerationof the foregoing specification andaccompanying drawings, is not intendedto limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described butall suitable modifications and improvements may be resorted to fallingwithin the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. In a mowing device having a frame, a power source on said frame, anaxle secured to said frame and supporting wheels on said axle; a rotarycutter bar journaled in said frame, means operatively connecting saidcutter bar to said power source, a bolt extending transverselyof saidframe, support arms for said frame adjustable pivotally of said bolt andjournaled thereon,

invention, what is 5 casters swiveled on said arms, and a commonREFERENCES CITED gfiz g g 3:23:; ggg gg Said arms to said The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent: I

2. The combination of claim 1 including a guard extending forwardly andabove the arc of 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS travel of said bar, said guardbeing pivotally Number Name Date mounted upon said bolt and adjusted bysaid 1,992,494 Lundin Feb. 26, 1935 common fastening means. 2,263,368Sejkora Nov. 18, 1941 2,287,126 Packwood June 23, 1942 EDWIN J.SOENKSEN. 2,308,076 Hainke Jan. 12, 1943 2,403,236 Phelps July 2, 1946

